Crossing borders: How to take your show on the road
by Jared Leon, Spring 2008
Performing outside Canada can be complicated. On top of the usual tour logistics, there are a number of other bureaucratic factors, the most important being armed with the correct permits or visas. Failing to have the proper paperwork can literally end your tour before it begins.
Performing in the U.S.
Plan ahead
Performing is considered as work — even if you’re not making money — so you’ll need
a P2 work permit. You get one through your American Federation of Musicians (AFM) local.
- You don’t have to get a separate P2 for each band member or each crew member, though support people have to get their own visa, a P2-S, and everyone has to complete an application form.
- A P2 can be valid for up to one year and cover multiple dates and multiple border crossings, provided you’ve already got at least one gig for every 30 days during that period. But if your application lists your first gig as April 1 and your last as June 15, your P2 is only valid until June 15.
- Unlike most people entering the U.S. to work, once you have a P2 you won’t be asked by a U.S. border officer to provide financial information and letters explaining what work or service you’ll be doing. Under a P2, the U.S. presenter becomes your employer.
Moving forward
Performing is considered as work — even if you’re not making money — so you’ll need
a P2 work permit. You get one through your American Federation of Musicians (AFM) local.
- A P2 can take up to 125 days to process, although over the last few years, the AFM
has noticed most P2s are ready within 95 days. However, to be absolutely sure you
have your permit when you need it, the AFM highly recommends you apply 125 days before you leave.
- A P2 is engagement-specific. As part of your application, you must provide contracts for your performances or a tour itinerary booked by an AFM-approved agency. If you want to add performances after acquiring a permit, you must inform the AFM as early as possible. You’ll also have to pay an additional fee to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), as well as submit your new contracts or updated itinerary, to have your permit updated. Remember: if you play in venues that the USCIS hasn’t been informed about, you’re working illegally.
- A P2 is only a work permit. You may need other visas to get into the U.S., particularly if you’re a Canadian landed immigrant. Consult the AFM for more information.
- You can’t hold more than one permit at a time — one cancels out the other. For example, a student visa would automatically be suspended once you’re approved for a P2.
- Just because the USCIS has issued a P2 doesn’t mean the border officer has to allow you into the U.S. If you’re belligerent or in some other way break a rule, he or she has the authority to revoke your visa. Also, just because you have a P2 doesn’t mean you won’t be searched and scrutinized.
- Make sure you have a valid passport or, if you’re driving, a government-issued photo ID, such as a driver’s licence, plus proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate. A passport is the easiest way to go, and will likely become a requirement at all land and sea ports in the next few years.
Count the cost
- The USCIS charges US$320 to process a P2 application and an additional US$320 for a P2-S for crew, back-up singers or dancers. If a gig comes up on short notice, or if you didn’t get your paperwork together in time, you can pay an additional US$1,000 that guarantees processing within 25 days.
- The AFM offers its services, as well as advice on U.S./Canadian artist visas, free to its members. Membership dues vary from local to local, to a maximum of around $250 annually per person — much less expensive than going through a customs broker, a U.S.-based visa-service company or an immigration lawyer. The local musicians’ union charges a small processing fee (around $25) when applying for musicians only, and $50 when applying for musicians and crew. You’ll also have to pay annual union dues.
Performing in the U.K.
It’s currently easier to get a work permit in the U.K. than the U.S., although, according to Steve Richards, managing director of U.K.-based T&S Immigration Services Ltd, this will change drastically later this year when entry clearance becomes mandatory for all non-EU workers. This means musicians will be subject to the same points-based immigration system as anyone else.
Plan ahead
- A booking agent/promoter has to apply for a work permit on your behalf, since they fill the bureaucratic role of employer, as they do in the U.S. So you have to have a U.K. booking agent or record label.
Count the cost
- You’ll pay £190 (around $380), plus a fee to a permit specialist (around £250/$500). The permit processing takes only a few days, is valid for six months and there aren’t any restrictions on picking up gigs.
Performing elsewhere in Europe
Touring in continental Europe is comparatively easy. “As a rule of thumb,” says Richards, “most European countries allow people to play for up to 30 days without a need for a work permit. The main exceptions are the U.K. and France.”
Multiply those 30 days by the number of countries in Europe and you could easily tour year-round without filling out a single permit application.
General tips
- Get insurance for your health and your gear.
- Be honest on your permit application. If you think there’s something that may hinder it, seek advice from the AFM.
- An international driver’s licence (offered by the CAA) is often required to rent a car/van.
- To avoid paying duty on the guitar you’ve owned for years, make a list of the gear you’re bringing with you, including serial numbers and brands. Before you leave, go to a Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) office and have an officer verify you have everything on the list and then stamp the list to validate it. And make sure you hang on to the list to show the Canadian customs agents on the way home.
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